Clear sight
by Aleria14
Summary: Iggy finds out that Max had been offered a way to get his sight back from Dr.Gunther Hagen. How will he react to this new piece of info? Will he try to persue this lead? Also includes how the flock, including Max, are coping without Fang.
1. Chapter 1: Breaking down the door

**Me: Another new story? Wow, I'm on a roll**

**Iggy: And this one doesn't suck!**

**Me: Pfft, I'm glad. Considering you hate most of my other ones**

**Iggy: This has a better plotline**

**Me: -eyeroll- You are so full of yourself**

**Iggy: :D**

**Me: Okay, things you need to know. There is no Miggy in this fic. If you clicked on this because you thought that it was a possibility, leave :P**

**Iggy: Another reason why I like this story...**

**_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Maximum Ride...at all...-coughexceptIggycoughcough-_**

**Iggy: What was that?**

**Me: Nothing...**

**Iggy: You don't own me!**

**Me: -sigh- No, I don't own Iggy...grr...**

**Iggy: :)**

**Me: Yet**

**Iggy: ...**

**Me: Enjoy guys. It's about time I wrote a story about Iggy...**

"'Morning, Ig," Gazzy murmured sleepily as he slogged into the kitchen, and plonked himself in a chair.

"Hm?" Ig replied. He really hadn't been with it lately.

"'I said 'good morning,'" Gazzy muttered, having lost all patience.

"Don't see what's so good about it," Ig replied flipping over a pancake in the frying pan. "Fang's gone, which, _apparently, _means we're all supposed to give up on life, I haven't slept a wink for a whole week, we haven't made any bombs-"

"I get it, Ig," Gaz interrupted, rubbing his sore eyes. "Things have gotten worse."

Iggy sighed, realising that he shouldn't be complaining about all of his problems when Gaz had it just as bad as he did.

"Has the 'Royal Highness' gotten her butt out of bed yet? Or am I going to have to give her breakfast in bed…again?"

"Yeah…she's still in bed"

Gazzy had hardly said anything this week, it was a wonder that he said anything at all, so Iggy wasn't surprised by how quiet he was.

Iggy carefully placed a plate piled with pancakes in the centre of the table. It had taken him two hours to make a big enough breakfast to feed the whole flock, and he knew that most of them wouldn't eat it anyway.

"Uh, Ig?"

Iggy looked up from setting the table. "What?"

"You put down an extra plate than you needed to again."

Iggy sighed irritably, picking up the plate that was supposed to be Fang's and hurled it out the window. He heard a satisfying crash as it hit the ground, shattering into pieces – exactly what was happening to the flock.

"Better?" Iggy asked almost angrily.

Gazzy said nothing and went back to eating.

Iggy clenched his jaw in anger and stalked out of the kitchen towards Max's room. It was about time she saw some sense.

+-+-+

"Max! Open up!"

When there was no reply, it took all of Iggy's self control not to break the door down.

"Max, we've really had enough of this so you'd better open this door or I will break it down! And I'm not kidding!"

Iggy was greeted with more silence. He placed his ear up to the door and narrowed his eyes in concentration.

"GO AWAY!"

Iggy jumped away from the door in shock, surprised she actually took the time to answer.

"Look, do you want breakfast or not?"

"NOT!"

"Come on, Max, just let me in."

"GO. AWAY!"

"Okay, I'll break the door down then," Iggy said, already backing away from the wood.

"IGGY!"

"Yes, Max?"

"LEAVE! NOW!"

"Break down the door? Okay, if you say so." He braced his shoulder and then slammed himself hard against the wood. His shoulder erupted into pain and he heard the door coming loose. Holding back a cry of pain, he slammed his shoulder against it again and it flew off its hinges, falling to the floor with a loud thud. Rubbing his shoulder, he stepped into the room and walked over to Max who was too bewildered by Iggy's actions to speak. Iggy then flung the covers off her, lifted her kicking and screaming form into his arms and walked down the hall.

"PUT ME DOWN IGGY OR I SWEAR THAT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN!" She shouted, struggling with all of her strength against the blind birdboy.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Iggy grounded out, swinging her over his shoulder and holding onto her legs.

She pounded her fists angrily against his back, but Iggy took no notice as he came to the living room.

"Uh, Ig? What are you doing?" Nudge asked over Max's screaming.

"Getting Max out for some fresh air. You got a problem with that?" He retorted, almost dropping Max who was still trying to escape his grip.

"Well…not really but-"

"Breakfast is in the kitchen, we'll be there shortly," and with that, he stormed out onto the balcony, managing to close the door behind him.

He could feel the morning sunrays prickling his skin and the crisp air matter his hair as he set the screaming girl down on the balcony. She suddenly went quiet and plonked herself into a chair, taking in the sunrise.

Iggy panted slightly as he rubbed his aching shoulder and sat down in a chair next to Max, figuring out what to say next. The weirdest thing came to mind and he decided to, for once, voice his thoughts.

"What's it look like?" He asked quietly, leaning back in his chair and concentrating on the warmth that was lightly touching his skin.

"Huh?" Max asked surprised, caught off guard by his question.

Iggy was going to say something like 'nothing' like he usually did, but decided to press the matter further. "What does the sunrise look like?"

"Well…it's…" she paused for a while, thinking it through. After a few minutes, Iggy was about to change the subject when she spoke again.

"The sun has only just appeared along the horizon so it's not that bright yet, but the sky is a dark pink that makes the clouds stand out like fluffy…pillows?"

"Go on," Iggy urged her, closing his eyes, attempting to piece the picture together in his head.

"As well as the pink there's also orange, yellow, light blue and small amounts of dark blue mixed together at different intervals in the sky. It's like someone has streaked a paintbrush across the horizon, making a pattern of random colors. But they're also not random. It's like they're meant to be here," she breathed, he voice faltering. "It's like they need each other to complete the whole picture."

Iggy had created a picture in his head with every detail that Max had given him and smiled. "You're good at this."

Pause. "I'm rolling my eyes, Iggy."

"Well, you are."

"Why did you bring me out here?" Max asked, sniffing slightly to unblock her nose.

"Because you need to snap out of it and stop being such a wuss," he replied, trying to keep the anger and frustration out of his voice.

"But-"

"But nothing, Max!" Iggy shouted. He immediately lowered his voice in case others were listening. "While you've been sitting in your room the flock has been slowly falling apart. Is that what you _want, _Max? Because it seems to me that you don't care anymore!"

Max was silent and Iggy stared at her, or at least hoping that he was.

"I…" she sounded like a fish on a beach, gasping for air and unable to get the words out. Then, the great Maximum Ride did something that Iggy hadn't expected. She burst into tears.

Iggy sighed heavily and moved his chair over to hers, rubbing her back in an awkward way. The two stayed like this for a while, and when Max's crying had finally subsided, Iggy pulled his arm away and stared at the sunrise that he couldn't see.

"What are we sitting around here for?" Max suddenly asked, getting hold of herself and standing up. "We have breakfast to eat. Come on."

She held out her hand to Iggy, but he didn't move.

"You coming?" She asked, waiting for him to get up.

"You go ahead, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Suit yourself," Max said before storming into the house, ready to take control again.

Iggy slowly stood and clumsily walked over to the railing, gripping it tightly in his hands as a cool breeze picked up.

There was something that he'd purposely not told Max that had been on his mind.

He desperately wanted to see that sunrise that she'd described.

+-+-+

**Me: So...yeah. I think that Igs finds out in the next chapter and things starts to move on from there...but we'll see. First I needed to get Max out of her 'depressed' state first. Her heartbroken thing just doesn't work with this story**

**Iggy: Zzzzzzzzz**

**Me: And that's my cue to sleep...-yawn- I am so tired that it's a wonder that I'm awake at all.**

**R&R?**

**-Bell and Ig**


	2. Chapter 2: The truth hurts

**Me: Next chapter!**

**Iggy: Finally! Some violence!**

**Me: ...as if I'd write a story about violence! Heh...-looks at other stories- I would never!**

**Iggy: But you killed Total off and-**

**Me: SHUSH! Let's just start the chapter! Thanks for the reviews, guys! I didn't expect to get so many...but you're all awesomene and I lovest you all!**

**Iggy: -eyeroll- **

**Me: -whacks- On with the chapter :)**

Iggy was lying on his bed, listening to the gory audio book that Fang had given him for his birthday almost a lifetime ago. He hadn't really had the chance to listen to it, but was glad that he remembered. It was really, really awesome and it took his mind off everything that was bothering him.

The book was also so vivid that he could practically _see _the people having their heads ripped apart from the bodies and the blood splattering across the walls. It made him feel excited and disgusted at the same time…

_Iggy._

…until Angel entered his thoughts and started lightly tapping his arm.

Iggy sighed as he pulled the ear buds out of his ears and paused the audio book.

"Yeah, Ange?"

"I…uh…"

Angel hadn't been herself lately either. Ever since the incident with Fang she blamed herself and had completely left the 'I want to be the leader' phase. Instead she'd moved into the 'It was all my fault, I'm not going to say anything anymore' phase. Iggy couldn't decide which one he hated more. _This isn't the Angel that we knew and loved,_ Iggy thought._ And neither was the one that was constantly fighting for control over the flock…_

Angel then, without warning, burst into tears.

_Note to self: Never think about Angel while she's in the room. _

Iggy reached out his hand and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his lap. He held her close while she cried into his shirt.

"You do realise you are the second person I've made cry today? All I need now is to talk to Gazzy and Nudge then I'm set for the rest of the week," Iggy said and she laughed through her tears. "Then again, I do have a knack for making people cry. Remember when I punched Fang in the nose and he started crying?" Iggy paused, frowning. "Oh, wait, that was me…"

Angel started laughing more as she dried her tears on her sleeve.

"Okay, what about the time that I tripped Gazzy up and he walked into a wall…whoops, me again." By then, Angel was laughing so hard that she had to clutch her stomach.

"Okay, so maybe I've never been the toughest member of the flock…or the smartest…or the person that could see the furthest…or at all for that matter…"

Angel hugged Iggy tight, her sadness completely lost by his humour.

"…but you've always been tough as nails, Ange. This isn't your fault, don't let it get you down," he finished with a smile, hugging the seven year old tight and running his fingers through her hair.

"Thanks, Iggy," she whispered and sat next to him on the bed, composing yourself. "Now there's something I wanted to tell you."

Iggy's smile dropped off his face as he 'looked' at the young telepath. "What is it, Ange?"

Angel hesitated and Iggy hated the uncertain silence. He averted his eyes and started playing with the red hem of his shirt. Something bad was coming, he knew it, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear it.

"I've wanted to tell you this for a while, but with everything that's happened, it's been hard…" she trailed off when she saw his expression. She suddenly wasn't sure if she should spill the secret or not, but she figured that he needed to know. "You know when Max ran that home school?"

Iggy rolled his eyes. "The one that killed almost all of my brain cells in my attempt to learn something? No, I don't recall."

"This is serious, Iggy," Angel said, her voice held disbelief which quickly disappeared when she remembered who she was talking to. _Well, _she thought, _he won't be like this for long._

"Max got a video from Dr. Hans that I found in my backpack and gave to her," Angel took a deep breath. "Max and Fang watched it together and Dr. Hans told them the reasons why they should join his side…"

"How do you know this?" Iggy asked quietly, sensing the tension.

"I watched it on Fang's laptop before giving it to them," she admitted, sounding kind of embarrassed. "I wanted to know what was on it."

"Fair enough," Iggy said. "Continue."

"He said that…he told them that he could implant organs and regenerate limbs…and…and…" she paused. "…give you new eyes…"

Iggy's head shot up and he 'stared' at Angel in shock. Although he knew that she was going to tell him something mind-blowing, he didn't see _that _coming. He thought that if Max knew of a way to get his sight back she would tell him and they'd talk about the possibilities. He thought she knew that he had a right to make his own decisions about what he did.

But he was obviously wrong.

"Iggy?"

Iggy shook his head and was finally aware of the tears pricking the corner of his eyes. To his horror, they actually rolled down his cheeks. The only time that he had felt this betrayed and angry was when he found out that Jeb was alive.

"Iggy, I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," he cut in angrily, wiping the tears roughly from his eyes with his hands. He stood up and stomped angrily towards the door, turning in the doorway. "Thanks for telling me, Ange," he said stiffly, his fists clenching at his sides. "Can you tell me where Max is?"

It took all of Angel's self control to not start sobbing again. She knew that Iggy deserved to know, but she also knew how much pain and outrage this was about to cause the flock.

"She's in the living room…with Jeb and Dylan."

"When did they get here?" He asked between clenched teeth. Dylan, he didn't mind. Jeb on the other hand…

"Ten minutes ago. Max sent me in here to tell you."

Iggy nodded briefly and quickly walked out of the room, not wanting to explode at the wrong person, and walked into the living room.

**-Page break!-**

"Hey, Igs," Dylan greeted as the near furious bird kid entered the room.

"Are you okay Iggy?" Max asked slowly as she stood and walked over to him.

"You liar," Iggy said with quiet intensity. He was so angry that he couldn't even shout at her like he wanted to.

"What?" Max asked confused, a little taken aback by the tear tracks down Iggy's face.

"You know exactly what I mean," Iggy snarled, the quiet tone still standing as he sent a glare at Max that would have scared Erasers away.

"No, Iggy, I don't. Calm down and tell me what the heck is wrong with you."

"I still can't see!" Iggy shouted angrily. "That's what's wrong with me! And you don't care!" More tears rolled down his red face and this only seemed to make him angrier.

"Iggy…" Max said, practically speechless as she glanced nervously at Jeb and Dylan who shrugged.

"Dr. What's-his-name had a way to get my eyesight back and you didn't even bother to tell me! That's what I mean!"

Everything finally clicked into place and Max sighed.

"Iggy, I need you to understand-"

"Understand what, Max?" He asked, his voice low again but his tone bitter. "If you can't understand how hard it's been for me for these past eight years, then how am I supposed to understand your motives?"

For that, Max had no answer. The flock had all crowded around the two birdkids and were completely too stunned to say anything.

"I've been blind for too long, Max, and I want to be able to see again…I've just had enough," Iggy finally said, all the anger replaced with sadness and frustration.

"And is that worth your life?" Max asked, her eyes narrowing. "Fang and I looked through his files and saw some truly horrible things that I can't even explain. I had to leave the computer they were so horrible. And you can't forget about how he almost _killed _Fang, Iggy! I don't want to lose you too…"

Iggy suddenly felt very light headed and dizzy, so he breathed deeply.

"You had no right," he said simply. "I can make decisions on my own. I'm not a little kid."

Max looked up at him, his face contorted into anger…but in his eyes Max could see pain. Keeping this secret from him had hurt Iggy, she knew it. She figured that it would be best for him in the long run, but, as much as she hated this, it was up to him to make the choice.

"You're right," Max finally said, glancing at the flock. "You aren't a little kid…which is why I'm letting you make the decision now. What do you want to do?"

**Me: DUN DUN DUN!!!**

**Iggy: That's easy, I'll-**

**Me: Shut up. Don't give away my plotline!**

**Iggy: Technically you don't know what's gonna-**

**Me: -holds up a chainsaw-**

**Iggy: Where the hell did you get that!?**

**Me: -revs chainsaw-**

**Iggy: -backs away slowly-**

**Me: R&R? I'd love to know what you think**

**-Bell and Ig**


	3. Chapter 3: Think

**Me: Well, this chapter took forever to write and the ending sucks, enjoy :D**

**Iggy: ...way to start an AN, Bell**

**Me: -shrug- I haveth nothing to say. Do you?**

**Iggy: Uh............no**

**Me: Exactly. Enjoy the chapter :)**

Iggy stood really still, staring straight ahead into the darkness. He ran his hand slowly over the kitchen bench, taking in its smoothness and the cold on his skin. He then sunk into a chair by the bench, his thoughts whirring dangerously around his troubled head. He knew that he had to think carefully about this because a wrong choice could cost him his life. No, it could cost the _whole Flock_ their lives. But, then there was the darkness. It had always been there, sure, but why was it suddenly feeling so heavy? It seemed to press down on his whole body, making him feel weak. It hurt, and it was a constant reminder of what they did to him.

"_It's only a simple procedure, nothing to worry about." _The words rung loudly in his ears and he put a pale hand to his head.

"_But what if we mess up? There could be dire consequences."_

"_Not possible. Failing is not an option, you do realise that?"_

"_Yes."_

"Argh," Iggy said, holding his head in his hands. He dropped out of his chair and onto his knees as a loud, agonised scream echoed in his brain. The screaming continued over and over again in his head, the distressed sound seeming to vibrate through his whole body. He clenched his teeth and opened his eyes, pushing the memory to the back of his mind and pulling himself up into a chair again. He recognised the scream; his scream. He had no idea how long he had screamed for as they operated, but he knew that he'd lost his voice the next day.

_Pfft, right. _Iggy thought angrily, his fingers curling at his side as he dropped his hand from his head._ They felt so care-free about it they _did_ mess it up. They messed _everything_ up. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be in this mess._

After a few moments, he got up and turned on the kitchen light. He heard the 'click,' he felt the light beaming down onto him, he could hear the light buzzing with energy, but it was still dark; just like it always was.

Iggy sighed in frustration and started pacing on the icy tiles, his socks sliding along them as he walked.

He started to make a list of the pros and cons of doing this.

Pro: He could see again

Con: Things could become worse than they already were

Pro: This darkness would stop pressing down on him

Con: He could, you know, _die_

Pro: He would know what the Flock looked like

Con: He would have to face the man that almost killed Fang

Pro: He wouldn't get lost anymore without the flock

Con: …

Pro: Colors. He could hardly remember what they looked like

Con: …

Pro: He wanted to be able to smiles.

Pro: He wanted to be able to see light

Pro: He would be happy

Pro: Things would become less of a challenge for him. It wouldn't be difficult to walk around in a crowded place.

Pro: He could be _himself_ again…he could _live…_

Iggy's legs gave out and he collapsed in the chair again, his head spinning.

Con: He could lose the flock and everyone he cared about in his life, including himself. Is that worth being able to see?

By now, his head was pounding as if there was a loud drum inside, the sound echoing through his skull.

"Iggy?"

The blind boy's head shot up and his eyes looked toward the noise. "What do you want?"

"I heard someone in the kitchen," Jeb said. "I thought we were being robbed."

"Humph, and _you _think you could save us?" Iggy asked sarcastically, turning his head back toward the bench. He didn't think Jeb was worth 'looking' at. He still didn't trust him and now was one of the worst times to be bothering him.

Jeb's slippers scraped across the floor as he walked and he sat down in a chair next to Iggy.

"You need to think about this very carefully-"

"Jeb, I know what I'm doing," Iggy interrupted coldly, sick of people trying to tell him what he had to do.

"But do you? Really? Because it looks to me like you're about to make one of the most important decisions of your life. You can't treat this lightly."

Iggy sighed. "You don't care anyway. All you care about is Max. Go and bother her instead," he said, waving his hand, trying to get him to leave.

"Very well, Iggy," Jeb sighed as he stood slowly and walked out of the kitchen. "But you must choose wisely."

_No shit, _Iggy thought angrily.

He waited until Jeb's footsteps had disappeared down the hall, then he dropped his head onto his arms and cried.

**-Page break-**

"Hey, Iggy, what're you working on?" Gazzy asked curiously, approaching his best friend for the first time that afternoon. Iggy had been giving off a 'say anything to me and you'll die' vibe all morning, so the Flock had left him alone with his thoughts.

Iggy shrugged in response to his question and ran a finger over the device. "Just something new I've been working on. It's a lot smaller than what we're used to, but I figure it will pack a punch."

He handed the minuscule device to the Gasman and he turned it in his hands, inspecting it expertly.

"It's cool," the Gasman said thoughtfully, eyeing the bomb carefully. "But I think that you connected the wrong wires. On a device this small you need to-"

"You need to be able to _see _where the wires go. I get it," Iggy said, his throat closing up.

"Iggy, that's not what I meant," Gazzy said quickly.

"Save it," Iggy said as he stood up and walked towards the door. "Tell Max I'll be back later. I'm going for a fly."

"But Iggy-"

"Just leave me alone, Gaz," he shouted from the end of the hall.

Iggy stormed through the living room, and out into the fresh air. Not even stopping to enjoy the pleasure of a breeze through his feathers, he jumped into the air, his wings beating powerfully up and down to make him rise faster.

"This is one thing you can't take away from me!" He shouted to nobody in particular, fighting back tears of anger as the wind blew wildly around his body, as if challenging him.

Iggy rubbed his sleeve over his sightless eyes and tucked his wings tight against his back, falling with the wind. His hair was pulled back off his face and his eyes started watering from the speed, but he didn't stop. Then, at the last second, he snapped out his wings and glided in nice curve straight up towards the sky again.

Breathing heavily, he moved forward slowly for a while, just enjoying the feeling of flying. He liked the idea that he didn't need to be able to see to do one of his favourite things.

After about half an hour, he angled his wings and changed course to the house which he knew was only a short distance from where he was. The house where Dr. Hans lived.

**Me: Yeah, I hated the ending, liked the beginning. R&R?**

**-Bell and Ig**


	4. Chapter 4: Face the music

**Me: Well, this chapter is really short**

**Iggy: Yeah, but thats because none of us can feel our fingers!**

**Me: ...point. I can hardly type...gah**

**Iggy: You know, it's about time that you wrote a story about me!**

**Me: You've told me this over and over again, I get it, you're happy, congrats**

**Iggy: ... :D**

**Me: Are you on drugs?**

**Iggy: I ISH NOT ON DRUGS SAYS MOMMY!**

**Me: -headkeyboard- Do not bring that up**

**Iggy: That is what Bell said when she was high. She didn't remember. Matt had to tell her that she said it**

**Me: I remember now...that was a dark day**

**Iggy: No, it was the day that that sheep started following you around-**

**Sheepy: BAAAAAAAAAAAA-**

**Me: GEEETTTTTT OOOOUUUUTTTTTT!**

**Sheepy: 0_o -leaves-**

**Iggy: -cracks up-**

**Me: ...okay, enjoy the chapter guys.**

* * *

Iggy landed clumsily on the terrace, his hand gripping the banister to keep himself upright. As he caught his breath, he strained his ears for any signs of life, hoping…well, he didn't know what he was hoping for exactly. If Dr. Crazy was there, he would have to finally face his greatest fear and greatest desire, if he wasn't, he'd have to turn back, even though he knew that if he did he probably wouldn't have the guts to come back.

Upon hearing nothing, he cautiously walked across the terrace, trying to be as quiet as possible. He could remember the exact layout from the last time he had been there, but he had no idea if Dr. Hans had moved anything around or not. _Oh, the disadvantages of being blind, _he thought sourly, his hand finding a wall as he walked. Thoughts began racing through his head as he ventured further and further into the house. He had no idea what he was going to say to the Madman when he met him. He was completely unprepared, alone, and, although he never would admit it, afraid. The man that he was about to encounter had almost killed one of his family, and had been working with Mr. Chu...or whatever the hell he was.

However, the fear was easily cancelled out by his desire to see again. Iggy kept his expression carefully blank as he pushed his fears to the back of his mind and focussed on remembering where to go. But as he entered what he thought to be the living room, he was aware of another presence in the room.

"Hello Iggy."

Iggy spun around and sent a death glare in the direction of the voice. How had he not heard him sooner?

"Wow, your sense of sound is uncanny. If I didn't know any better I'd say that you were staring right at me," he said, his voice full of wonder as if he was one of the Whitecoats back at the school, wanting to find out exactly how Iggy ticked.

This sent shivers down Iggy's spine, but he dismissed it.

"But you do know better," Iggy retorted, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall in a sort of 'I know exactly what I'm doing' gesture…even though he had no freaking clue what the heck he was doing. "So let's just cut to the chase already. Can you fix my eyesight or not?"

Iggy heard Dr. God rise from his chair and walk across the floor, stopping directly in front of him. There was an unnerving silence in the room as the man studied him, but Iggy did his best to keep his face blank while his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides; right now, every muscle in his body screamed at him to run.

"That depends," he answered simply.

Iggy rolled his sightless eyes in annoyance.

"I should have known – you guys are all the same. So what's the catch?"

The doctor paused for a moment, obviously thinking this through. "No catch. I'm just trying to decide whether or not I will be able to fix them or have to give you a new set."

_Whoa, whoa, whoa_, Iggy thought hastily. _A new set? And no catch? Right, and I'm Lady Gaga._

"You'd better tell me what you get out of this before I let you do anything to my eyes," Iggy said decisively, taking an almost unnoticeable step back.

The Doctor sighed, turning away and putting some distance between himself and the teenager. Iggy heard him sit down on the sofa.

"Why don't you take a seat, Iggy. We have much to talk about."

"I'm fine where I am," he replied, crossing his arms.

"You don't trust me, do you?"

"Now that's the understatement of the century," Iggy said, throwing his hands into the air. "You stalked Max and Fang, put something in our water supply that not only temporarily ruined our skin, but is also circulating in our DNA right now, you get Angel to trust you, and then completely screw it up and you almost _murdered_ Fang! And now you're asking if I trust you?"

There was silence throughout the room as the two people 'stared' at each other.

"Then tell me, Iggy, why are you here?" the Doctor said slowly.

"Because," Iggy spoke quietly, dropping his eyes in the direction of his shoes. "I trusted Max to try to help me get my eyesight back. I've trusted her for eight years. And finally, the right opportunity comes along and she doesn't even consider it."

Iggy rubbed his eyes angrily, as if remembering the pain he had experienced so long ago.

"I understand, Iggy," Dr. Hans replied quietly. "But the fact of the matter is that I _can_ help you to see again. However, I can't help you if you don't trust me. So sit down and let's talk."

* * *

**Iggy: And you just left it there? That was way too short**

**Me: Sowwy guys, I just felt that I had to end it there, you know? Sorry for any mistakes-**

**Iggy: Did you just say 'sowwy?'**

**Me: ...DAMMIT MATTHIAS!**

**Iggy: -cracks up- **

**Me: I'm just gonna end it here before I say something else completely influenced by Matt -eyeroll-**

**R&R? Please?**

**-Bell and Ig**


	5. Chapter 5: Iggy's situation

**Me: Alright, let's make this AN quick**

**Iggy: Yeah, because you haven't updated this in three months according to kimsa**

**Me: -sigh- Yeah...I AM SO SORRY, GUYS! I've been trying to get back on my feet with my fics...and now that this is updated, I'm getting back on track :) Sorry for making you wait so long.**

**Alright, now onto the first thing that I need to mention**

**_This chapter is dedicated to Kimsa Ki-Lurria, who reminded me to update this fic. Thanks! I owe you one!_**

**Thanks, Kimsa!**

**Also, no one knows for certain how old Iggy is when he became blind. So I just took a shot in the dark and gussed seven. Yes, that was a pun. Shot in the _dark. _Heh...**

**Iggy: -facepalm- Ha-ha. Very funny. And why don't you just ask me?**

**Me: ...**

**Iggy: ?**

**Me: ...I want to do my own thing, that's why.**

**Iggy: -facepalm- Fine. Be wrong then.**

**Me: It's wrong? D:**

**Iggy: No, it's right.**

**Me: Really?**

**Iggy: No.**

**Me: ...**

**Iggy: Or is it?**

**Me: ...damn you. **

**Iggy: -laughs-**

**Me: -glares- I'm just gonna let everyone read the chapter now. Enjoy, guys!**

* * *

From then on, things went fairly simply, Iggy thought. A few negative thoughts in his head about the Doctor here and there, but nothing he couldn't handle.

He'd slowly walked over to the sofa and sat down, feeling Dr. Han's eyes on him the whole time. Iggy knew what he was thinking; 'it's amazing how he can find his way around.' He may have been the only person that could help his situation, but that didn't mean that he wasn't a scientist and didn't view things the same way as a Whitecoat would. For all Iggy knew, this could all be seen as an experiment to Dr. Hans, but to him nothing could be more important.

But, amazingly, the only thing that made Iggy feel truly uncomfortable about sitting on the couch with the doctor was the fact that he was taking notes on his clipboard. Other than that, he didn't really feel threatened by him. And if the Doctor was being analytical of Iggy, he wasn't showing it. It was as simple as the doctor asking a question, and Iggy answering it.

By the end of the afternoon, Iggy had told him the following. When he was seven years old he had lost his eyesight after the Whitecoats had attempted to enhance his night vision. He had told the man that he knew nothing else. Which was true. When he thought about it, he knew close to nothing about the experiment that ruined his life. It was sad really, and probably didn't make Dr. Hans' project any easier.

The man also asked questions about the school and the Whitecoats, but Iggy didn't answer those. If Dr. God was looking for more information from him than needed, Iggy wasn't giving it. He was sticking to what he thought the Doctor needed to know; which was as little as possible. He didn't really care that he could be endangering his own life by giving away these answers - he was more worried about the Flock. And giving away information about things such as the school, could be hazardous to them.

After the school related questions, he had moved onto questions about any improvements that had occurred over the past eight years. To answer this, Iggy had told him about being able to see when faced with a white landscape, and a little bit more when he was underwater with Gazzy and Angel. He also told him about his ability to feel colors, but also added that he felt that this was irrelevant because it had nothing to do with his eyes.

"Don't be so sure," the doctor had replied. "Every piece of information you can give me may be relevant to the task at hand. If there is anything to tell me, don't hold back."

By the time that the doctor had finished, it was late afternoon and Iggy felt mentally drained. He had never actually talked about this properly with anyone before, and now that he had, he felt exhausted and about ready to just drop on a bed somewhere and sleep.

"Hmm," the doctor said, tapping the pen against his teeth while reading through the notes that he had taken.

Iggy opened his mouth and was about to say something when he froze, tilting his head to the side. A moment later, he sprung to his feet and turned to the door, glaring at it angrily.

"I suspect we have a visitor then?" Dr. Hans said, plonking his notes onto the table and standing next to Iggy.

At that moment, Maximum Ride came running through the door.

"Ah, Maximum," the doctor said enthusiastically, holding out his arms in welcome. "I'm glad that you could join us."

"I'm not," Iggy muttered, making sure it was loud enough for her to hear, then sighed. "What are you doing here, Max?"

"What am I doing here?" She asked angrily and Iggy winced. He knew that tone of voice. She'd used it ever since they were little kids at the school. Iggy silently wondered if she still scrunched up her face in pure fury when she spoke like that. "What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?' I'm here to make sure that you're okay! But I guess I didn't need to because you're already happily talking to _him_!"

"Well, Max, I do think that you said something me earlier. Hm, what was it again? Oh yeah, it was that I could make my own decision about this!" Iggy shouted, clenching his fists.

"Yeah, I did say that, but I thought that you'd _tell _me first instead of just running off!"

"Oh, I _see_ now," Iggy said in exasperation, putting a very clear emphasis on the word 'see.' "I was supposed to tell you where I was going exactly the same way that you were supposed to tell me about what Dr. Hans had to offer! I get it now, Max!"

To this, the great Maximum Ride had nothing to say - shocker. Iggy could tell that she still felt guilty about that.

"Do you two want to know Iggy's situation or not?" The Doctor finally broke in, wiping his brow with his handkerchief.

"Of course we do. I bet that his situation is about as good as Fang's was," Max retorted, crossing her arms and turning her attention to doctor God.

"Max," Iggy said with unusual calm. She dropped her hands to her sides. "Just be quiet for once. I need to know."

Max stared at Iggy in shock. His expression was completely blank and showing no emotion at all, his eyes had dark rings under them from lack of sleep, his face displayed an unusual grey dullness and he chewed at his lip absently. Although is face may have been completely void of emotion, Max could see right through him as if he were glass. Or maybe she wasn't really seeing through him. Maybe it was just the pure anxiety and fear that was clearly shown in sightless, blue eyes that made her understand what he was feeling. But the thing that scared Max the most was that all of these things were so unusual for Iggy that he looked like he'd aged ten years within a day. He didn't look like that same childish boy that used to crack jokes or make bombs or goof around with Gazzy.

_I'm losing him, _she thought helplessly.

She stayed quiet.

"Anyway," the Doctor continued, and Iggy turned his head eagerly to face him. "It appears that the problem may not be as serious as you think."

Iggy had the urge to retort and say something like "so losing my eyesight in an experiment where the Whitecoats toyed with my ability to see isn't as serious as I thought it was? Oh, okay then" but he decided against it. There was no use in getting on his bad side – not now.

"What do you mean?" He asked finally, a look of impatience crossing his features.

"I mean, from what you've told me, it appears that your eyes have almost been trying to fix themselves, and they have been for a very long time."

"Well, if that's the case, then why can't he see again?" Max butted in, making her way cautiously over to the two. The only reason that she hadn't made a break for it was because of Iggy. It was his decision and, for once, she was supporting it.

"I did say the word 'trying,' didn't I?" The doctor said irritably. Max scowled and before she had time to say anything, he continued. "I think that they might just need a little extra push. I can do that for you if you want."

"How?" Iggy asked a little too quickly.

The Doctor smiled, almost a little too wickedly for Max's taste. She didn't trust him, and she just wanted to be the heck out of there.

"A simple procedure," he answered with confidence. "Almost impossible to fail."

Iggy froze. Those words…they were almost the exact same ones that the Whitecoats used. Right before they had stuffed up his life forever. Right before the horrible screaming began.

"Iggy?"

It was neverending. They wouldn't stop hurting him.

"Iggy?"

Over and over again the wave of pain would hit him. It was unbearable. He couldn't take it. It just wouldn't stop…

"Iggy! Snap out of it!"

Iggy opened his eyes and was surprised to find himself on the floor. He blinked a few times. "What?" He muttered.

"You collapsed. Are you alright?" Max asked, helping him get to his feet.

Iggy shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, Doc, but I need some time to think it over." And, with that, he sprinted back the way he had come, and leaped off the terrace into the fresh air.

* * *

**Me: YAY!**

**Iggy: That...hardly moved us off the cliffhanger that you left us at before!**

**Me: Heh...yeah, the plot begins in the next chapter**

**Iggy: -facepalms repeatedly-**

**Me: :D Yeah, so, uh...R&R? I really value your opinion on this, guys...reviews would be highly appreciated.**

**-Bell and Ig**


	6. Chapter 6: In the dark, there's a light

**Me: Alright, this is my present for leaving this story for so long - another update. You lucky, lucky people ;)**

**Iggy: Not really, considering this chapter is really really bad**

**Me: Heh...-whistles innocently-**

**Iggy: Even Bell agrees with me!**

**Me: -eyeroll- It's long, it drags on, it's a filler because all the action happens in the next chapter...yeah, it's pretty bad. But, anyway, you guys need to read it to understand the rest of the plot, so read on guys. Try not to get too bored...**

* * *

Iggy beat his wings as hard as he could, flying faster and faster. He had to get away, had to clear his head, had to just…to just…

_A bright light hanging over the top of me like a death warrant. __A plain, white room. __My hands are bound to the table. __I struggle determinedly, desperately. __I can't break free, I'm trapped. __What's going to happen to me? __Why can't they just leave me alone? _

_Four tall Whitecoats are standing over me now and I struggle harder. They have scalpels and masks covering their faces. Masks that I've seen them wear only for surgery. Oh God, please no. One of them begins to lower the scalpel down closer to my face. I'm afraid. I've got to get away. I thrash harder, my arms and legs pulling with all my strength. I grunt with the effort, but it's no use. The scalpel is closer, and closer, and closer._

_And then I scream._

"NO!" Iggy cried, clasping his hands over his ears, clawing at them frantically with his nails. He was suddenly aware that his wings were no longer working and he was plummeting further and further towards the ground. "NO! NO! NO!"

Tears streamed out the corners of his eyes and he closed them tight, still unable to handle the pressing darkness that swirled around him in a mist of misery, rage and fear.

Iggy continued to fall. He just wanted it all to stop. Everything. He wanted to be left alone, he wanted to die-

No. He quickly found himself again. He didn't want to go down – literally – without a fight. Iggy didn't want to die. Not yet.

So, at the last second, he snapped his wings open painfully and flapped hard, the tip of his sneaker just managing the brush the ground. He rose slightly, just enough to stop himself from becoming a pancake, then stopped flapping altogether and, tucking his wings in, let himself fall the last few feet to the ground. His body then came crashing back to earth painfully and he rolled along the hard floor like a broken rag doll. Eventually, his aching body came to a stop on the grass and Iggy suppressed a groan of pain. When his head stopped spinning, he sat up shakily, clenching his teeth as every muscle in his body protested. He felt like he'd been repeatedly run over by a truck but, from what he could tell, he was okay.

Alright, maybe not 'okay' exactly, but not dead either.

Feeling that his head was throbbing more than the rest of his body, he ran his long fingers through his hair and winced when he felt something red, wet and sticky. No point in asking what that was. He concluded that he probably hit his head on something when he hit the ground, then wiped his sticky hands on his jeans. The injury wasn't serious, and Iggy could really care less about his injuries anyway.

After that, he thought his situation through and decided against getting up.

_What's the point? _He thought tiredly. _I have no clue where I am, I'm obviously hurt and can't risk flying, and, to be honest, I don't really feel like I have anywhere to go._

Iggy stiffly brought his knees up to his chest and hugged them tight, burying his bloodstained face into them. He didn't move, even when he heard the sound of frantically beating wings coming his way. His first thought was that it was an Eraser (even though he still wasn't sure if they were still really out there), but changed his mind when he recognised the wing beats and knew that they belonged to Max.

She came to a running halt next to him, breathing heavily as she got down on one knee and patted his back unsurely.

"Iggy," she murmured, quietly, trying to get him to look up. But he didn't move.

_What is wrong with him? _She thought, patting his back carefully, not really sure if he was injured or not.

"Iggy," she tried again. "Say something."

"Something," he muttered and Max groaned in annoyance.

"Now is not the time for this! What's going on?"

Iggy became silent once more. Max sighed.

"Iggy, look," she said sternly, almost hitting herself when she realised that she'd used the wrong choice of words. "I'm sorry that I busted in on you back there, but I don't want you to have to face this alone. And no matter what you do you're not going to be alone because there are five other people that care about you, and we're supposed to be sticking together."

Iggy didn't look up and kept his head on his knees as he took in Max's words. He understood what she was saying, but how could he not be alone when none of the others fully understood how he felt? How could any of them understand any of this? But Iggy chose not to voice these opinions.

"And what happened to me making my own decision about this?" Iggy muttered into his pants. Max rolled her eyes.

"You still get to make the decision, Iggy. Heck, it's obvious that we can't stop you from doing what you want. But what we can do is be there for you. All you need to do is talk to us."

Iggy sighed and stiffly brought his head up off his knees. He wiped away some dark blood that had found its way down the side of his face and stared at a spot on the ground. "What do you mean by that?"

"Mean by what?"

"Talk to you."

Although he couldn't see it, Max looked away. This had always been a touchy subject for Iggy and for the flock even. Although everyone knew what had happened to Iggy and why it had happened, no one had ever talked about it; no one dared to. It wasn't something that you could sit down with a cup of tea and discuss. Not to mention it was hard to bring up. The flock couldn't just say 'So, Iggy, was it painful when the Whitecoats brought that knife down onto your eyes?' No way. So, after everyone knew what had happened, it was never discussed. It was almost like an unwritten code. Just don't bring it up. And, here Max was, about to bring it up.

"About what happened," she said finally, making Iggy frown. She needed to handle this properly – saying one wrong thing could set Iggy off. Lately he'd ironically been like a ticking time bomb just waiting for someone to insult him, or question his judgement and then he'd go off. Max didn't want that.

"Well, that's easy," he said simply, not even hesitating. "Dr. Hans just asked me a few questions about-"

"No," Max interrupted, cutting him off and Iggy tilted his head in confusion.

"Well, be more specific then," Iggy said irritably, lowering his knees until he was sitting cross-legged on the grass. Max carefully sat down next to him, putting a gentle hand on his knee.

"I mean about what happened six years ago."

Iggy froze and snapped his head up to face her, his heart racing wildly in his chest. There was silence for a while but he knew that it was his turn to say something, so he settled for "it was eight years ago, Max."

"See," she said, throwing her hands in the air. "I don't even know how long ago it happened! How are we supposed to help you if we barely know anything about this, Ig?"

"Did you ever think that maybe I don't _want _your help, huh? Maybe I want to do this alone!" Iggy snapped back, getting angry now.

Max shook her head sadly. "Do you really believe that, Iggy?"

Iggy directed his head down and picked absently at the grass. It felt cool smooth against his fingers, distracting him for a moment.

Did he want to do this alone? No. Of course he didn't. This was tearing him apart.

_It should be a effortless, easy decision, _Iggy thought bitterly. _Do I take the damn operation or not? Yes or no. It's so simple…and yet, my mind shuts down whenever I think about it. So much to lose…so much to win…this is all too much._

Iggy dropped his head into his hands, his fingers gripping his hair. "I'd really rather not talk about it. It's one of those things that you push to the back of your mind and never think about ever again. I don't want to go back, Max. Please don't make me go back."

"But, Iggy," Max said with a sigh, "if you don't tell us about what happened in your past, how are we going to fix your future?"

Iggy blinked a few times in surprise at her words and Max frowned. Even she was shocked that she was coming up with this stuff, but she figured that she'd keep talking.

"I know that we don't, and never will, fully understand what's going through your head, Ig. But, the thing is, we want to at least try for your sake. And you can't just keep bottling it up like you are now or you're going to crack. I…" Max trailed off, biting her lip.

"You what?" Iggy asked quietly.

"I just lost Fang…I don't want to lose you too."

There was silence between the two as the words hung limply in the air around them, holding onto the silence like a vice.

Iggy angled his head towards the floor, his pale-blue eyes staring dully at nothing.

_Always the same darkness, _Iggy thought. _But there's always a light._

"Alright, Max," he barely whispered. "I'll tell you what happened."

"Okay," she replied, getting to her feet slowly, not taking her eyes from Iggy. "Let's get out of here then."

"Uh…Max?" Iggy asked, acting more like himself as he scratched his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, Ig?"

"Where is 'here' exactly?"

Max almost laughed.

* * *

**Me: Yeah...still not liking this chapter much. I never really liked fillers...meh...**

**Iggy: -yawns- -goes to sleep-**

**Me: -eyeroll- Yeah, bed sounds good...**

**R&R? Please?**

**-Bell and Ig**


	7. Chapter 7: What did you see?

**Me: I'm sorry for not updating in so long guys, but I've been so busy with school, exams, my crazy personal life and...well, more exams :P My last one is tomorrow, but as of right now, I am back! WOOT!**

**Iggy: -eyeroll- After how many months?**

**Me: -sigh- It's been crazy, ok? And I'd apologise more but I see no point in it because I really was too busy to write. I couldn't even work on NaNo :( But anyway, here's the next chapter. Sorry for the wait!**

Iggy had almost hit himself when he had found out that he was less than 10 yards away from the house. He couldn't believe that an hour ago he had no idea where he was when he was practically already home. But now he was wrapped in a warm blanket on the sofa with a newly bandaged head and a cup of steaming hot chocolate. For the first time in days he felt comfortable, warm and relaxed – but he knew that that was about to change soon.

The Flock were scattered around him – on the floor and on the sofas – watching TV, but it was only a matter of time before Max asked him to talk. This thought made him instantly tense up again and he rolled his shoulders in an attempt to loosen his muscles.

"Car chases are always the best," Gazzy said matter-of-factly, stuffing popcorn into his mouth. "And they're even better when they have guns or some type of explosive…like-"

"You can't be serious, Gaz!" Nudge cut in and Iggy suppressed a smile. "Car chases are sooo boring. I don't know why you have any interest whatsoever!

"It doesn't matter, guys. Shh, the good part is coming on," Max muttered, absorbed by the movie which was unlike her. Iggy relaxed again and closed his eyes, drifting off into a half sleep. But the next thing he knew, Max was shaking his shoulder, telling him that the movie was over. He sat up abruptly and was surprised to find that the sound of sirens and shotguns were no longer filling the room and his ears were met with silence.

"What's happening?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes and placing the now cold, untouched hot chocolate on the coffee table.

"I know this is bad timing, but we need to talk about this, Ig."

Oh great.

Iggy sighed and ran a hand through his hair before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. Although it didn't matter, he was still careful to avert his eyes away from everyone else. He could feel all of their gazes locked on him. There was no doubt that Max had filled them in on what had happened with Dr. Crazy and what he was supposed to tell them about.

"Alright," he said quietly, "if you really want to know…"

"It's not that we _want _to know, Iggy," Nudge said softly, her voice threatening to start shaking. "We just never talk about it, and none of us, not even Max and Fa…not even Max know what _really _happened. And it's not like we want to intrude or anything but-"

"I know, Nudge," Iggy cut in, ending her ramble but stiffening because of her slip up. He could almost imagine the stern look on Max's face about now. "So what am I supposed to do? Just say it?"

"If that's how you want to go about it," Max said.

Iggy could feel his heart hammering in his chest and he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. If just _thinking _about it made him feel like this, he had a feeling that saying it would either make him faint or throw up. Neither were good.

He opened his mouth to say something but nothing seemed to come out other than air. He sucked in a breath and then a tiny hand slipped into his.

_It's okay, Iggy. _Angel thought to him gently. This was the first time she'd 'spoken up' all afternoon. _We're going to be here for you no matter what. But you need to tell us._

"It started off just like any other experiment at the school would," he got out, dropping his head towards the floor, concentrating intensely on the darkness in front of him. Instead of acknowledging that this had actually happened to him he decided to treat it like a story; sort of like playing pretend. He decided that this had never happened to him. It was some other unlucky kid. Someone – anyone – as long as it wasn't him he was talking about.

"Max, Fang and I were sitting around in our cages. Nudge was only little. Maybe about four, but I don't remember her being in the room at the time. Just Max and Fang.

"As they put my cage on a trolley and wheeled it towards the exit, ignoring Max's screams of protest, I had no idea that that was the last time I would ever see them."

Iggy paused and clasped his hands together, taking in all of the eerie silence around him. He could barely even hear the flock breathe. It was almost like time itself had paused just so everyone could hear this story. If it weren't for Gazzy swallowing really loudly he would have thought that there was no one else in the room anymore. He decided to continue.

"As they wheeled my down the hallway past groups of Whitecoats I decided to ask what was going on. The Whitecoat snorted at me and then said that they were going to 'enhance my night vision,' which is the official story that you've all heard from me before. And then, because he obviously thought I was stupid or something, he added that it would help me see in the dark from now on. But now I can't help but wonder if I'd misheard him. Maybe he really told me that all I would ever see is darkness from now on – it wouldn't surprise me." He was surprised to pick up the hostility that covered his words and he decided that he must have sounded pretty insane. Maybe the flock would lock him up in a nuthouse after he told them the real story.

"We didn't walk very long," he went on, "and I knew that the room was close to the one with our cages. Later on Max and Fang would tell me that they could hear my screams all the way from their room.

"The Erasers roughly took me out of the cage and I remember fighting against them as they strapped me down to a cold, metal table with a bright light hanging from the ceiling. I thrashed around desperately trying to break free but it was no use. Then the door opened and the Whitecoats walked in with surgery masks on their faces. I remember struggling harder against the straps binding me to the table. Then, as they got closer I saw…I s-saw…"

Iggy cut himself off, his game of pretend slipping. Since these were some of the last things he saw, the memories were so clear, so vivid. He decided to leave out the part that bothered him the most.

"They leaned over me, getting their tools of torture ready and then injected me with something. Pretty soon my eyes were taped open and I couldn't move any of my muscles anymore but I was still aware of everything around me. Then, as if in slow motion, one of them brought down the knife and…and I screamed.

"I…I don't know h-how long it lasted, but it seemed like forever. And eventually the pain was so intense that I was knocked out. And that was the end of it. I woke up in my cage again with gauze wrapped around my head."

Iggy could hear the blood pumping in his ears so loud that he was sure that everyone in the room could hear it over the undisturbed silence. No one in the room was moving a muscle and Iggy was sure that they were all horrified.

Angel slowly sat down next to him and buried her damp face in his shirt and he held her tight, as if she was the only thing keeping him from breaking down completely. Max patted his leg and Nudge and Gazzer scooted over so they were leaning against the couch he was sitting on.

"What did you see? What did you leave out?" Angel whispered, but Iggy already knew that she knew the truth already. She just wanted the others to know. Iggy decided to oblige.

"I wasn't aware until recently. I never really thought over what had happened because I just couldn't. But…today as I was flying, I remembered it again. And I saw something – someone."

"Who, Iggy?" Max asked, her voice sounding angry. She knew.

"Jeb Batchelder. He was watching, and he didn't do anything about it."

**Me: DUN DUN DUN!**

**Iggy: That was such a nice chapter**

**Me: I know. I'm so nice to you, Igs.**

**Iggy: -eyeroll-**

**Me: R&R? -yawn- Alright. Bed time.**

**-Bell and Ig**


	8. Chapter 8: What I've done

**Me: So I finally decided to update this...**

**Iggy: It took you long enough**

**Me: I wonder if I've lost any readers...**

**Iggy: Wouldn't be the first time**

**Me: Meh. Well, now that I know where this is going it was easy to update. Just took a while to start up the plot...but, we're getting there**

**Iggy: How about we just shut up and get this out of the way already?**

**Me: Sounds like a plan. Enjoy :)**

* * *

Iggy lay down on the couch, eyes closed but not sleeping. How could he sleep when in half an hour Jeb was going to show up and he'd have to face him? Actually, Iggy had a feeling that he wouldn't be the one facing him; Max was so angry that he knew that he wouldn't get a word in. He could hear her behind him, pacing the length of the room over and over again, her feet never stopping for an instant. As for the other members of the flock, after they'd been ordered to go to bed by Max and they'd refused, were watching another movie. Iggy didn't know – or care for that matter – what it was. His head was filled with so many different emotions that he found it hard to concentrate on anything other than Max's footsteps.

Occasionally he'd surprise himself by opening his eyes and hoping to see through the darkness, but there was still nothing. Why did he keep hoping when nothing would come? And why is he choosing to…

Slowly, he opened his eyes again and sat up slowly. He tilted his head to hear Max's heavy footsteps pounding on the floor like hammers and the silence from the younger kids that was brought on by sorrow.

_Why am I practically choosing to hurt my family by bringing this up? _He thought to himself, his shoulders slumping. _Why am I putting them all through this hell with me? It's my problem and I know how to fix it…so why don't I just do it?_

But Iggy knew the answer to this question. It was the same reason why he didn't want to remember the searing pain behind his eyes, the same reason why he didn't want to face Jeb and the same reason why he could no longer face the darkness.

He was afraid.

But by the time Jeb showed up requesting to come inside, he found that anger had replaced his fear and he knew exactly what he had to do to fix this mess.

But first things first he needed to go face to face with the man that did absolutely nothing when that knife came down onto his eyes. No more fear. No more hiding behind their fearless and controlling leader. It was all him, and he knew he could do this.

He heard Max drop down the ladder in silence and he got to his feet, making his way outside into the cool air.

Once Jeb had finally made it to the top, he stood, panting, and Iggy could imagine him scowling.

"Anyone like to explain why I got a call at 2am to come down here?" he asked in annoyance, and Iggy answered his question before Max even had the chance.

"Because we need to ask you something," he said quietly, not even bothering to hide the hostility in his voice. He was too tired to pretend.

"Couldn't you have just asked over the phone?" he replied, studying Iggy closely.

"No, Jeb. We couldn't."

"Then tell me what it is so I can go back to bed," Jeb told him with a yawn.

"Why didn't you do anything?" He asked in an even tone, just managing to keep his voice from being raised.

"What do you mean?"

"Eight years ago when the Whitecoats ruined my life. You were there, weren't you?" Iggy asked him, his fists clenching as he heard the old man sigh.

"Iggy I wasn't–"

"Don't lie. You were there; I saw you. And you did nothing. And now I'm asking you why. So go ahead and answer already before I make you," Iggy said in frustration, lifting one of his fists as if to punch him. He managed to hold it in position, but he was shaking so much in pure fury that he wasn't sure that he could actually land a hit even if he wanted to.

Jeb sighed again in response. "How about we go inside and talk?"

"I think that we're perfectly fine out here until we can decide what to do with you," Max finally butted in, and Iggy pictured her with her arms folded neatly but offensively across her chest.

"Okay," Jeb said, but Iggy caught no hint of fear in his voice which only made him shake more. "As you all know it was a standard procedure – nothing was meant to go wrong."

"But it did!" Gazzy interrupted and Iggy was surprised at how angry his best friend sounded. "I thought even you were smart enough to figure that out."

"You're right," he continued patiently, "it did go wrong. Horribly wrong. And, to tell you the truth, I honestly have no idea why it didn't work. But that's not the point right now. What I'm trying to tell you is that I _did _do something…although when I did I was too late."

"What do you mean?" Iggy asked, his breathing starting to calm.

"I made them stop operating when you knocked yourself out from screaming. Something just didn't seem right about what they were doing so I pulled them away before they could do further damage."

"Oh I see," Max said in fake understanding. "So what you're trying to tell us is that you stopped them _after _they'd destroyed his eyes. Is that supposed to make things better?"

Iggy heard Jeb turn away but he wasn't sure if it was in regret or because he couldn't face what he'd done.

"I didn't know that they weren't going to knock him out before the operation...and I didn't know that everything was going to go wrong. I was ordered not to interfere and I obeyed that order." He turned back around. "And do you know why?"

"Why?" Iggy asked, his fist falling to his side.

"Because, by that time, I was already trying to figure out a way to get you all out. The plan was in its early stages – considering that we all escaped three years later – and I wasn't fully trusted among the other Whitecoats because…because of the way that I treated you."

Iggy let this sink in. He'd always thought that Jeb had been easily trusted among his other Whitecoat buddies – that they all went out together to get coffee and talk about their experiments together. But he was obviously wrong. He remembered how Jeb would sneak them extra food, give them blankets when they went to sleep and excuse them from certain training exercises if they were too tired. Compare that to the hostility of the other Whitecoats and Jeb was a saint. It all suddenly made sense why he wouldn't be trusted.

"I needed to get on their side…so when I heard about the experiment that 'couldn't possibly fail' I volunteered to help - to make sure that things went as planned. But I am sad to say that I couldn't help you, and for that…I'm sorry," he said sadly and Iggy could feel all eyes on him.

Had he seen this coming? No. Did he want a useless apology from Jeb? No – well, maybe a small part of him did. But what good would it do him? Nothing that's what. He wasn't about to put on a smile and forgive him. He didn't think he ever would.

He suddenly remembered that everyone was waiting for him to say something and it was starting to get pretty cold.

"Unfortunately 'sorry' doesn't do me any good right now," he said slowly, extending his wings. "I'm going out. Don't follow me. I need time to think."

He leaped into the air and within a few minutes their discussion was a distant memory and he was on his way to Doctor Hans' place. He didn't need time to think; he'd thought about this enough already.

He landed easily on the terrace and tucked his wings tight against his back, pulling his jacket closer around him. He walked over towards the door and upon finding it locked, hammered on it with his fist.

He only had to wait a moment before he could hear the sound of footsteps followed by the handle turning and the door swinging open.

The doctor yawned, obviously having been woken up by the racket he was making. "Iggy? Why so early?"

"Sorry," he muttered but he didn't feel very sorry.

"What is it?" The man asked, but Iggy could hear the hope and expectation in his voice.

"I Just came to let you know that I'm in."

* * *

**Me: That explains Jeb's intentions. And the next chapter (which is prewritten and going up in only a FEW DAYS) is gonna be happier...possibly**

**Iggy: Why?**

**Me: -headshake- You'll see. Alright, gonna end this. Expect an update soon.**

**R&R?**

**-Bell and Ig**


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